Electrical system for bus bar coupling

Abstract

A system that may include a rigid bus bar body portion having one or more first conductive pathways, and a flexible bus bar body portion extending from the rigid bus bar body portion and having a lower modulus of elasticity than the rigid bus bar body portion, the flexible bus bar body portion including one or more second conductive pathways. The one or more first conductive pathways and the one or more second conductive pathways may be configured to be conductively coupled with a first electronic device to form a conductive connection between the first electronic device and at least a second electronic device.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system comprising:
 a rigid bus bar body portion having one or more first conductive pathways; and 
 a flexible bus bar body portion extending from the rigid bus bar body portion and having a lower modulus of elasticity than the rigid bus bar body portion, the flexible bus bar body portion including one or more second conductive pathways, the one or more first conductive pathways and the one or more second conductive pathways configured to be conductively coupled with a first electronic device to form a conductive connection between the first electronic device and at least a second electronic device; 
 wherein the flexible bus bar body portion includes an opening configured to receive a fastener for mechanically coupling the rigid bus bar body portion to an insulated-gate bipolar transistor. 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible bus bar body portion is thinner than the rigid bus bar body portion. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible bus bar body portion extends into an opening within the rigid bus bar body portion. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible bus bar body portion includes an interface with the rigid bus bar body portion that has a shorter length along the interface than an edge of the flexible bus bar body portion extending from the interface. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible bus bar body portion includes an interface with the rigid bus bar body portion, a first edge extending transverse to the interface, and a second edge extending transverse to the interface in a parallel spaced relation to the first edge, the first edge and the second edge terminating in a third edge extending between the first edge and the second edge. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible bus bar body portion includes an arcuate surface. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible bus bar body portion is a first flexible bus bar body portion, and the system further comprises a second flexible bus bar body portion that extends parallel to the first flexible bus bar body portion. 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible bus bar body portion includes a first flexible bus bar body portion and a second flexible bus bar body portion spaced from the first flexible bus bar body portion with a creep barrier between the first flexible bus bar body portion and the second flexible bus bar body portion. 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the rigid bus bar body portion and the flexible bus bar body portion are coupled via brazing. 
     
     
       10. A system comprising:
 a first rigid bus bar body portion; 
 a first flexible bus bar body portion extending from the first rigid bus bar body portion and having a lower modulus of elasticity than the first rigid bus bar body portion; 
 a second rigid bus bar body portion mechanically coupled to the first rigid bus bar body portion; and 
 a second flexible bus bar body portion extending from the second rigid bus bar body portion and having a lower modulus of elasticity than the second rigid bus bar body portion; 
 wherein the first flexible bus bar body portion is spaced from the second flexible bus bar body portion with a creep barrier between the first flexible bus bar body portion and the second flexible bus bar body portion. 
 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 10 , wherein the first flexible bus bar body portion has a thickness that is less than a thickness of the first rigid bus bar body portion, or the second flexible bus bar body portion has a thickness that is less than a thickness of the second rigid bus bar body portion. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 10 , wherein the first flexible bus bar body portion is aligned with the second flexible bus bar body portion. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 10 , further comprising a flexible connection section coupled to the first rigid bus bar body portion and having a lower modulus of elasticity than the first rigid bus bar body portion. 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 10 , wherein the second flexible bus bar body portion has an arcuate surface. 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 10 , further comprising an insulated-gate bipolar transistor mechanically coupled to the first flexible bus bar body portion to provide a first conductive pathway between the first rigid bus bar body portion and the insulated-gate bipolar transistor, the insulated-gate bipolar transistor mechanically coupled to the second flexible bus bar body portion to provide a second conductive pathway between the second rigid bus bar body portion and the insulated-gate bipolar transistor. 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 15 , further comprising a heat sink engaging the insulated-gate bipolar transistor and mechanically coupled to the first rigid bus bar body portion and the second rigid bus bar body portion. 
     
     
       17. A system comprising:
 a rigid bus bar body portion; 
 a threaded terminal disposed through a flexible bus bar body portion extending from the rigid bus bar body portion and having a lower modulus of elasticity than the rigid bus bar body portion, the threaded terminal configured to receive a male threaded bushing configured to be movable within the threaded terminal to engage an insulated-gate bipolar transistor portion; and 
 the insulated-gate bipolar transistor portion mechanically coupled to the rigid bus bar body portion to provide a conductive pathway between the insulated-gate bipolar transistor portion and the rigid bus bar body portion through the male threaded bushing; 
 wherein the rigid bus bar body portion and the flexible bus bar body portion are coupled via brazing. 
 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 17 , further comprising a heat sink engaging the insulated-gate bipolar transistor portion and mechanically coupled to the rigid bus bar body portion. 
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 17 , wherein a fastener is disposed through the male threaded bushing to mechanically couple the rigid bus bar body portion to the insulated-gate bipolar transistor portion. 
     
     
       20. The system of  claim 10 , wherein the first rigid bus bar body portion and the first flexible bus bar body portion are coupled via brazing.